Bird feeder

ABSTRACT

A bird feeder is shown in FIG. 1 comprising a bottle-like container adapted to be hung from a tree with a reversible cap engageable with the container. In one position the cap closes the container against egress of contents, for example in transport and storage, and in the reversed position allows controlled discharge of contents for bird feeding purposes.

This invention relates to bird feeders.

According to the invention a bird feeder comprises a container for foodand a reversible lid for the container, means being provided forsecuring the container and lid together in either of the lid positions,in one position the lid preventing escape of container contents, and inthe other position permitting escape of contents.

Conveniently the container is in the form of a bottle, that is to say ithas a relatively narrow neck which co-operates with the lid, and thebottle may be blow moulded from a plastics material so as to berelatively inexpensive. By these means, the invention may be applied topackages containing bird food for retail sale, without substantiallyincreasing the price of the container which is necessary for thatpurpose.

The lid may comprise a peripheral wall of substantially the same crosssectional shape and dimension as the major portion of the container, andwith a transverely extending web or partition formed on one side with aclosure cap for the container, so that when the lid is engaged with thecontainer with that cap adjacent the container it closely fits the sameto hold the contents against discharge. The opposite side of thepartition can be fashioned to co-operate with the mouth of the containerso as to allow gravity feed of container contents between the mouth ofthe container and the partition, and the peripheral wall of the lid maybe provided with access apertures so that birds e.g. wild birds canreach the food through the apertures.

According to a feature of the invention, the container and lid areadapted to be snap engaged together by co-operating means provided onthe container and lid and the same means are provided not only at bothends of the lid, so that the same can be reversed and engaged with thecontainer, but also at both ends of the container. By these means aseries of like lids and containers can be engaged together end to end.This is particularly advantageous when birds are being fed withdifferent kinds of food which are not mixed, so that one container canbe used for feeding one kind of food and the next adjacent one foranother kind of food and so on.

The invention is now more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bird feeder;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the same with the lid inone position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the lid in another position.

Referring to the drawings, the container 10 is blow moulded from asuitable plastics material, and in this illustrative embodiment is ofgenerally square cross section. Upper and lower ends are rebated at 12and provided with projecting ribs 14. A web 16 is provided with an eyeallowing the container to be suspended from a tree for example when inuse.

It will be noted that the ribs 14 are provided at upper and lower ends,although the web and eye feature is only provided at the upper end. Theribs at both ends make it possible to secure containers and lidsalternating in a stack as hereinbefore described. As seen in FIGS. 2 and3, the lower end (in the illustrated position) is provided with a neck20 terminating in an aperture 22. Since the aperture 22 is of smallerarea than the cross section of the container 10, the container can beregarded as a bottle.

The lid for the container comprises a peripheral wall 24 of similarcross sectional shape and size to the container. As best seen in FIGS. 2and 3, the peripheral wall is bridged by a partition structurecomprising a cone 26 made integrally with a closure cap 28. The wall isprovided with a series of slots 30 ones of which co-operate with theribs 14 according to whether the lid is in the feed position of FIG. 2or the closure position of FIG. 3. Due to the inherent flexibility ofthe blow moulded lid material, the container can be snap engaged withthe container and readily disengaged when required.

In the FIG. 2 position, the cone 26 is spaced with a clearance 31 fromthe adjacent end of the neck of the bottle. The dimension of thatclearance will depend upon the size of the seeds or other food being fedfrom the container. This dimension can be selected so that a loose pileof seeds accumulates which then clogs the clearance 31.

Birds gain access to the food through the relatively large apertures 32provided around the periphery of the lid, and as they remove food fromthe pile resting on the cone, more food is discharged.

The lid is also provided with a closure cap 28, so that when the lid isin the FIG. 3 position, the closure cap fits closely on the neck of thebottle and prevents any loss of food, for example during storage andtransport.

Additional slots 30 provide a purchase for the claws of the birds so asto act as a perch.

In a modification (not shown) the lid has an additional collarupstanding from the cone and extending past the projecting neck of thebottle in spaced relation to the neck. This may restrict the gravityflow of seeds and also enable the emptied container to be filled withwater and used in the same manner, the extra collar filling with waterwhen in the FIG. 1 position, and thus preventing air from entering thebottle except as and when water is removed from the collar.

I claim:
 1. A bird food package comprising a container having an openmouth, wherein the improvement comprises a reversible lid which issecurable to the container in one position in which it tightly seals themouth of the container, said lid having a platform and being alsosecurable to the container in a reversed position in which said platformis spaced from the mouth of the container, the lid and a major portionof the container being of the same cross-sectional shape and dimension,the lid and container being provided with co-operating means by whichthe lid can be snap-engaged with the container in either of thepositions of the lid relative to the container, the lid having atranversely extending partition of generally conical shape provided witha closure cap on the concave side of the partition, and the partitionbeing asymmetrically related to the axial length of the lid so that inone position of the lid on the container the closure cap fits thecontainer closely and in the reversed position the partition is relatedto the mouth of the container so as to allow flow of container contentout of the mouth and down the partition.
 2. A bird food package asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the lid has a peripheral wall provided witha number of relatively large apertures above the partition enablingaccess to the interior of the lid, and located in the portion of thewall above the partition.